Chapter 14: The Planet's Memory Being Dragged Out!
A deafening clash echoed through the sky.
A thunderous roar of destruction followed.
Then came the sharp, metallic snap of chains striking against one another.
The violent collision, the reverberating tremors, and the sounds of devastation rang out so fiercely that they seemed to pierce straight through the heavens. Chain of Heaven against Chain of Heaven.
One was the inheritor of the Chain of Heaven. The other was a newly born existence of the Chain of Heaven. One possessed vastly greater magical power, while the other carried something known as the "Core of the Magic Furnace"—the Holy Grail.
For a brief moment, the clash between the two remained fierce and evenly matched.
One after another, the Chains of Heaven split the horizon apart, surging forward in relentless waves. Even the sky itself, shaken by their battle, seemed to transform into a breathtaking spectacle.
"Human, die!"
In that instant, lightning suddenly burst forth from Kingu's body, spreading outward before transforming into a terrifying bolt of thunder that shot toward Shin Akira in the distance.
"Lightning power, huh? Too bad… I've got that ability too. Azure Thunder."
A crackling surge of Azure Thunder erupted directly from Akira's body.
Compared to ordinary lightning, Azure Thunder existed on an entirely different level—like something belonging to the realm of gods.
The rampaging Azure Thunder and the raging lightning collided instantly, turning the entire surrounding area into a prison of thunder and flashing arcs.
But it still wasn't over.
When Kingu realized that Akira also possessed the power to control lightning, a shadow of darkness filled his gaze. Not only that, his body began trembling violently.
This was resonance.
The Divine Weapon: Chain of Heaven. Lightning. Magical power that nearly originated from the same source.
Their powers were almost identical.
If not for the difference in their faces, Kingu might have mistaken the person standing before him for a replica of Enkidu.
But the opponent clearly was not Enkidu. Of that, Kingu was absolutely certain.
Because the body he was currently using belonged to Enkidu. He had inherited everything about Enkidu. There couldn't possibly be a second Chain of Heaven—and he would never allow one to exist.
"I am the one and only Divine Weapon: Chain of Heaven. Begone and die!"
The earth began to rumble.
Beneath Akira's feet, the ground suddenly shifted. One after another, massive stone pillars rose from the earth itself.
The power to control the earth.
This was also an innate ability of Enkidu. Because Enkidu was a weapon created from the soil of the Age of Gods, he was the beloved child of the earth. As long as he stood upon the ground, his power would flow endlessly.
"Sorry to say… but the authority over the land belongs to me too."
An ocean-like surge of magical power exploded outward in an instant.
Both of them possessed the same abilities. In a situation like this, whoever held the greater magical power would take control.
At that moment, all land within a ten-kilometer radius fell completely under Akira's control.
Which meant that within this territory, Kingu could no longer use the power of the earth.
Both were "Chains of Heaven," yet the gap between them remained enormous.
If Enkidu's power were measured at one hundred, then Kingu would be at most around seventy—perhaps even less. Because he wasn't the true owner of this body.
Akira, on the other hand, was completely different. He had inherited everything from Enkidu perfectly, on top of the additional powers he had gained. His strength had reached at least one hundred fifty—already surpassing even the original Enkidu.
And that wasn't all.
Enkidu's greatest power wasn't any of this.
It was the release of the Divine Weapon: Chain of Heaven.
And beyond that, there was also Wisdom of the People, a power capable of directly rivaling Gilgamesh's Treasury of the King.
Akira had inherited all of it perfectly.
But Kingu couldn't.
Especially the released state of the Chain of Heaven. In the original story, it was true that Kingu had once achieved it, even successfully restraining the Mother of Creation, Tiamat. But the price he paid was his own life—a fleeting burst like fireworks at the end of existence.
"You bastard! How dare you—"
Before he could finish his words, a massive stone pillar slammed into Kingu and hurled him high into the air.
Then came the "stone banquet."
Kingu was like a ball, repeatedly struck by countless stone pillars, battered from one direction to another without pause. His state was utterly miserable.
At this moment, Kingu's blood flowed as though it held no value at all, spilling freely across the soil of Mesopotamia.
After who knew how long, Kingu finally crashed back down onto the ground.
His white robe was now torn to shreds. His handsome face was covered in blood. Combined with the terrifying expression twisted across his features, he looked like a raging beast on the verge of madness.
"I'll kill you. I will definitely kill you."
"Ah… geez. It's already broken, huh? Guess I went a little too far."
Akira scratched his head. He really had gone overboard. This wasn't just anger anymore. Kingu had completely exploded in fury.
"Die, human!"
In an instant, the surface of the earth was swept by golden magical power.
With Kingu at its center, a massive circle of golden light spread outward.
Within that circle, the sharp ends of the Chain of Heaven extended densely in every direction.
Seeing this, Akira raised an eyebrow slightly.
This method of usage didn't belong to Enkidu. It belonged to Kingu.
If it had to be named, this was Chain of Heaven: Wide Area.
"I am the strongest creation on this planet. Kingu—the only new human of the new world, and also the strongest human."
That was right.
Deep in his heart, Kingu considered himself to stand on the side of "humanity."
It was just that the humans currently existing in Mesopotamia were, in his eyes, inferior and mistaken old humans. Beings meant to be replaced.
Yet at this moment, seeing Kingu like this, Shin Akira simply smiled.
"The strongest creation on this planet? What's there to be proud of in being something created?"
Akira narrowed his eyes slightly. The magical power within his body began to boil.
Like a surging flood, it burst forth in an instant.
On the ground, with Akira as the center, golden magical power began spreading outward as well, sweeping across the surroundings. In both range and intensity, it far surpassed Kingu.
"Kingu, this is the true power of Enkidu. What you're using… is nothing but its outer shell."
From the earth—within that golden light—one weapon after another began to emerge.
Wisdom of the People. The planet's memory being dragged out.
All kinds of objects were born from the ground itself.
At its core, this was an imitation of human history. The more time passed, the more information accumulated. Its armory would continuously update as civilization advanced.
If summoned in ancient times, then only weapons of that era could be called forth.
In other words, if summoned in the modern era, it could call forth a vast array of modern weaponry alongside weapons from the past.
All weapons created through this Noble Phantasm used Akira himself as the base, then were enhanced through enchantments.
Simply put, this was "Knight Does Not Die with Empty Hands" without needing to be held—and without any limit to its quantity.
This was something he had only realized after perfectly inheriting the power of Enkidu.
Back when he was in the world of High School DxD, what he used had merely been the crudest and most superficial method.
In a sense, his state back then was very similar to Kingu's current state.
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